S t r e t c h
by Chicary
Summary: To make way for a king's palace, the shadow's maze must first fall. Puzzle.


**_Inspired by several things; a novel, my bosses whom I respect and some big life changes as my close friends and I get older._**

**S t r e t c h**

Yugi's Dark Half hadn't always known he was a Pharaoh, yet there was always a Throne to greet him whenever Yugi entered Yami's Soul Room. Now if this memory must somehow exists within the depths of the subconscious, the Throne would be hidden in an unexplored  
>cor<br>...ner to collect dust until it is brought to the forefront.

But this fact was only highlighted when Yugi found his way in to Yami's Soul Room on the evening before Yami left for the Dead. Instead of the Throne sitting proudly in a room of nothingness, there was a crumbling  
>s<br>tttt  
>aaaa<br>iiiiiiiiiiiiii  
>rrrrrrrrrrrrr<br>ccccccccccccccc  
>aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa<br>ssssssssssssssssssssssss  
>eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee;<br>the beginning of what was to become ruins as the Maze of Yugi's Dark Self fell apart to make way for the Pharaoh's Palace. Yami's memories of his past were back with him and there was no space for both Forgetting and Remembering to be in the same place.

Yugi didn't know what he was looking for. He'd entered his Dark Half's Soul Room for a reason, he knew that, but he couldn't put his finger on what. He wanted reassurance; a kind of closure that came with seeing something with his very own eyes. He also wanted to see if Yami's relentless Maze would be kinder, softer, less hostile to Others, as a result of the security Yami found in Knowing who he was. But most of all, he wanted to see Yami and to talk to Yami as Yami and not the Pharaoh.

As always, the Maze (or what had become of the Maze) was kind to him, defying even the laws of physics and perception as the bricks somehow avoided falling on him. Even though Yugi was in their direct path as he stood amidst the enormous space, the bricks

pooled  
>pooled… … …pooled<br>pooledpooled… … … …pooledpooled  
>pooled… … …pooled<br>pooled

around him and continued to do so as he ventured into the Maze's depths. But this wasn't altogether unexpected. Yami's soul was as likely to harm Yugi as Yami himself, and vice versa. Still, Yugi had never seen the bricks  
>f<br>a  
>l<br>l  
>and it disturbed him because the Maze had always been firm and solid; again, like Yami himself.<p>

It was scary because it went against what made Sense. When Yami didn't know himself, his Maze was solid. Now that he Knows exactly who he is, it's in a state of fragmentation. But Yugi's curiosity motivated him to venture further; to see what he would **never** see if he'd decided to turn back. The halls lit for him, as they always did and there was always a place for him to step. Yugi wasn't daunted by the  
>...down<br>...upside  
>eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee<br>ssssssssssssssssss  
>aaaaaaaaaaaa<br>cccccccccccc  
>rrrrrrrrrrr<br>iiiiiiiiiii  
>aaa<br>ttt  
>s;<br>merely allowed his body to /tilt/ itself as he ascended.

Yugi opened a door and stepped in. The enormous weight that would have crushed anyone else stopped short of the tip of his hair and pulled back up. It did so silently and if Yugi didn't already know of its existence, he wouldn't have noticed. A hallway s t r e t c h e d out in front of him; nothing too unusual except that it looked half finished, as if there were spaces meant to be filled but weren't.

"Yami?"

The hallway _shook _with a force that could have been Yugi's voice if his voice wasn't so small. Yugi gasped and backed away as bricks

t  
>... u<br>m  
>b... ... ...<br>l...  
>e<br>... ...d

down. The ceiling right above was still intact but they kept coming and coming until they blocked his path. When it was over, Yugi stared at the

pile  
>pilepilepilepile<br>pilepilepilepile  
>pilepilepilepilepilepile.<p>

Was Yami's Soul Room resisting him? Or was it trying to hide something from him? Well, there had been times when Yami (being Yami) retreated away to himself and it had been up to Yugi to reach out to him. Yugi just had to wade through these bricks to get through. He pushed them aside, wherever he could find room. And yet, for every brick he threw aside, two more would take its place. Yugi quickened his speed; his hands moved faster, faster, fasterfasterfaster. But they didn't move fa- - -st enough. Finally, he stood back, breathing heavily. Maybe this was the Pharaoh's doing. The Pharaoh wasn't Yami, he was the Pharaoh. The difference between them was a world of experience. The Pharaoh knew and appreciated Yugi as Yami's vessel. Yami shared an intimacy with Yugi never experienced by anyone else in the world.*

Yugi was sure the Pharaoh would want to move on. He wasn't sure of Yami felt the same way.

And, as if to thwart Yugi's assumption about the Pharaoh, the bricks parted, creating a pathway just big enough to fit through. Yugi frowned. Yami's Soul Room never played games with him. He still believed this was the Pharaoh's doing.

"Yami I need to talk to you."

But Yugi humoured the Pharaoh anyways. ,He wasn't yet sure what the Pharaoh wanted so it was worth playing his games to find out. When he stepped past the pile of bricks, the hallway no longer existed. Except for a narrow strip for Yugi to walk on, the walls on either side had decayed to nothing, as if centuries had just past within that moment. The smell was almost unbearable but what bothered Yugi more was the rate at which Yami's Soul Room deteriorated. It hurt to see this. And it hurt to think about how long this Soul would last before it was completely taken over. He gritted his teeth. The Pharaoh was certainly persistent.

A flash of red suddenly caught his eye and he turned just in time to see it disappear into the darkness. A memory of the pharaoh on horseback with his cape flung out behind him crossed Yugi's mind. He had no doubt who this was.

Yugi started running, forgetting how narrow his path was and how deep the drop would be. "Pharaoh, wait! Pharaoh!"

For awhile, it seemed like he was chasing nothing but darkness. Then, a burst of light stopped him in his tracks, nearly throwing him off balance. Yugi turned away, shielding his eyes. When the light receded, what he saw momentarily made him forget where he was.

Midday sunlight shone through an open balcony, highlighting the royal purple curtains that framed it. The sky was blue and clear and a breeze wafted in, flitting past Yugi's face. He apprehensively walked out onto balcony and gasped when he saw the enormous throng of people beneath.

"Pharaoh! Pharaoh! Pharaoh!" Their shouts were rhythmic and strong. They called out as onebody and onepeople and it unnerved Yugi because it felt like they were directing it at him.

When he looked down at his clothes, he was relieved to see that they were the same. He knew the crowd wanted acknowledgment but he wasn't the right person to give it. Yugi didn't like being the centre of attention; he didn't like to be high up while others were below; he didn't like to be _worshiped_. He pursed his lips, tugged the two sides of his jacket together and backed away from the balcony, hoping with all hope that this would soon dis-appear.

Which it did. As soon as Yugi wished for it, the scene blurred and was devoured by the corridor that took its place. He lost his footing and reached out to brace himself against a decaying wall while he emptied his stomach. His fingers dug into the wall, scooping fragments of it under his fingernails while he attempted to regain his breath. A part of him wanted to leave but he was so deep into the Maze (catacombs?) and wanted so much to see Yami's face.

Especially now when Yami, the one he _knew_ was getting replaced with the Pharaoh, a stranger he must respect.

It happened so slowly that Yugi barely noticed. Like the creeping of the dawn, the dimness (or rather, darkness) lifted.

S ... ...l ... ...o ... ...w ... ...l ... ...y,

s... l ... o... w... l... y

the darkness pulled away and the space was lit. And as the darkness receded, the walls; frayed and decayed turned golden; solid and strong. Yugi watched warily as the darkness pulled away, taking the damages away with it. Swallowing it up. The Pharaoh was starting to build his Palace even before Yami's Maze crumbled. No, the Pharaoh's Palace was forcing its own growth while devouring the Maze at the same time.

The darkness pulled the narrowness away with it and the corridor widened to a large, spacious room. Gold chased after the shadows a they pulled away, leaving the ground polished, new and perfect. The last of the darkness disappeared to uncover a proud, untouched, _perfect_ throne. It sat on a pedestal as

one

amongst

a canine, a bull and a hawk.

And it made Yugi resent the Pharaoh. But before he could turn away, a pathway of bricks formed, laying themselves into place from Yugi's feet all the way to the throne.

"No!"

In response,

four... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... tall

-O-

o

o

.

.

pillars... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... formed

near each corner of the space, each decorated lavishly but each very distinct from each other.

"Stop it, Pharaoh! There's still time!"

Large windows carved themselves out of the solid walls, bringing sunlight and fresh air into the space. Between each window was an elegant torch; again, four in total.

Yugi's stomach twisted as he surveyed the space. It was graceful but simple. He tried to compare it to what he saw in the Memory World but he found that he had a hard time remembering it. When he looked behind him, he found that the space - the Palace - had closed him in.

Yugi whipped his head back and forth, panicked. It wasn't just a matter of getting out of that strange place but also a matter of what was happening outside. Was the entire Maze really gone or is Yami out there somewhere, still wandering; still with pieces of Forgetfulness that kept his Maze in tact? Yugi grabbed the handles of the massive double doors but they would. not. move. He pulled and pu-lled and p-u-lled until his fingers were red and blistered.

"You will **not** trap me in here. You hear me, Pharaoh?" He pounded on the doors with two red fists, "This space is **not **yours. You are an intruder! THIS SPACE IS NOT YOURS!"

He stopped and stood back with a gasp when one of the doors creaked open. The first thing Yugi saw was the man's royal garb.

"Pharaoh?"

Then he saw the sharp but kind face.

Yugi smiled, "Yami."

Yugi's Dark Half closed the door behind him before studying his partner's face. "I heard you but I couldn't come sooner. I'm sorry, Partner."

Yugi tried to keep the smile but it s t r e t c h e d and twisted in his attempt to hold down the lump in his throat. "That's okay."

"You're concerned about the changes."

"Yeah."

"It has not hurt you, has it?"

"No, it never has."

But that strained smile was still there as well as the knitted brows and the eyes on the verge of spilling water. "Tell me." Yami said.

Yugi grabbed the crook of Yami's arm and looked searchingly into those familiar eyes. "You remember, don't you? Our friends, Duelist Kingdom, Battle City, the Game Shop; you remember that, right? You're still you, right?"

Yami stared at his partner for a moment before nodding, "Of course."

"But you also remember everything about your Ancient Past."

"Most, but not everything. No one remembers everything."

Yugi went quiet and continued to regard Yami's face. Everything was the same. It was still Yami and if the clothes were different, Yugi was sure this was the exact same person he'd always Known.

"The Pharaoh is forcing his Presence into your Soul Room," he finally said. "And I'm not too sure if you're you or him."

"I don't understand." It was Yami's turn to hold onto Yugi's elbow, "I am who I've always been and there is no one here but us."

And even as Yami spoke, the room started changing again. The space expanded, lavish things decorated the walls and hallways connected it to other parts already in the making.

"We already Know it's changing." This became increasingly uncomfortable to say because it meant a verbal reminder that his Dark Half was leaving. "But look at it," Yugi swept his hand across the room, pointed at the windows, the ground and the Throne. "It's becoming a Pharaoh's Palace. The Pharaoh is forcing his presence into your Soul Room!"

Yami looked at all the places Yugi pointed to, then at his own clothes, "I know it's turning into a Pharaoh's Palace, Partner," he regarded his partner with gentleness, "but it's still only us here."

"I don't get it." A frustrated drop slipped out the corner of Yugi's eye but he quickly brushed it away with his sleeve.

"Would you like to sit down?"

"There no where to sit but the Throne. Don't say things like this to me. It's cruel!"

"That's not what I meant."

"I don't want to fight, Yami. This is our last time together," Yugi cleared his throat so it wasn't obvious that his voice was cracking.

And, to Yugi's surprise, Yami hugged him.

Yami hugged him.

"What's happening, Yami?" Yugi asked. He leaned into the embrace, felt Yami's skin again his cheek, smelt him. "Why aren't you worried? It's okay to worry, you know."

It was so _Yugi _to say something like that and Yami, somewhat against his own nature, held him tighter. "You know I never hide anything from you."

Yugi slid both arms around his Dark Half so that if Yami really was concealing his worries, he'd be comforted as well. "You're human like me, you can't be this calm when your own soul is - " this was so hard to say, " - falling apart."

"That's because it is giving way to the growth of your soul."

Yugi looked up and the intense pain in his face momentarily shocked Yami, "What? My Soul Room is on the other side. Don't tell me you forgot that already!"

Yami didn't want to pity his Partner but, for the first time, he realized that Yugi wasn't pretending. He really didn't get it. "There's no one here but us."

"You said that already."

"This space, the entirety of it, is either yours or mine. There is no one here but us."

Yugi remembered hearing this tone a long time ago.

_"What is seen but unseen?"_

There was something Yami wanted him to understand but figure out for himself.

"Yugi," Yami pulled away slightly, "I'd like you to have a seat on the Throne."

"I can't do that."

"It hadn't always been this way but we trust each other wholly." His tone was patient, gentle, like Yugi was some delicate thing.

"Please don't force me." And, even though they trusted each other wholly, they also respected each other wholly.

So Yami didn't press.

But Yami also didn't say anything, which made Yugi nervous because he knew the challenge was still in the air. He reluctantly turned to where the Throne sat with the four statues,

then turned back to Yami.

... Yami was still looking at the Throne,

... ... so he turned back and studied it again. Normally a Throne would be elevated and sitting by itself, this wasn't the case.

He turned back to Yami.

... Yami was still looking at the Throne,

... ... ... so he heaved a sigh and looked at it again. There was a canine, a bull and a hawk.

He turned to Yami.

... Yami was still looking at the Throne,

... ... ... ... so he forced himself to look back again. Four monuments in total. Four, four, four!

He turned to Yami.

... Yami was still looking at the Throne,

... ... ... ... ... like himself and his friends. There were four of them as well.

He turned to Yami.

... Yami face was strained but he was still looking at the Throne,

... ... ... ... ... ... and if this space is not his, it was Yugi's. They were the only ones there.

"I still don't want to sit on it - even if it's mine."

Yami's expression was kind and his eyes glistened, "I know you wouldn't, Partner."

It didn't make things better knowing that there wasn't an elusive 'Pharaoh' destroying Yami's Soul Room and that it had been Yugi's Soul Room taking over the entire time. In fact, it was worse. He didn't want to push his Darker Half away but his Soul seemed to be doing just that.

Yugi grabbed both of Yami's shoulders with a strong force, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for this to happen to you. You know I wouldn't push you away, and I am not pushing you away now!"

The grip was very strong and Yami was very proud of it. He pulled Yugi to the side where they could sit against the wall (on the ground). "Remember when I said that your Soul is that of a Leader; one of a - "

"Yesyousaidthat," Yugi said quickly, not wanting to hear what came next.

"Your humility is boundless," Yami hesitated, his admiration showing through, "I'm awed by you. Do you know that?"

Yugi turned away and shrunk into himself, drawing his knees against his chest.

Yami continued, "I've tried to learn as much from you as I can," he chuckled, "But I continue to fall short."

He could tell Yugi was blushing and it made him laugh. "Sometimes I wonder what you would do in my stead and - " Yami rubbed his chin, " - I'm steered in a better direction."

"You're embarrassing me."

"I might not get the chance to say these things again."

Yugi's innards collapsed at that and he sprung from his defensive position. "Well, you know what?"

Yami paused.

"I don't want you to go."

... "I want you to stay."

... ... "I couldn't have gotten this far without you."

... ... ... "If you go, a part of me," Yugi poked hard at his own chest, "very literally, a part of me would be gone."

Yami opened his mouth but Yugi cut him off.

... ... ... ... "I don't know what will happen when you go, but I'm scared."

... ... ... ... ... "Do you hear what I'm saying? Do you **hear** what I'm saying?"

"I hear what you're saying."

... "And I don't want a Pharaoh's Palace as my Soul Room. I want the small room that I had; the one with no door that's right across from yours where I can just cross the Hall to visit."

... "Where I'll always know that I can find you when I need to."

... ... "What do I do when I have all these fears and needs and morning is just around the corner?"

"I'm so sorry," Yami looked like he was trying but he didn't know what to say. And there's always times when we all don't know what to say, "I don't know."

Yugi was disappointed but he nodded anyways, "You have a right to not know sometimes."

"I want to know so I can be there for you and help you." There had only been a handful of times when Yami looked lost and vulnerable but Yugi made sure to remember them all so that **he **could step up and be the strong one.

Yugi cupped Yami's face with both hands and kissed him. Yami tensed and Yugi kissed him harder. When Yami relaxed, Yugi was gentler and fell back so they could share the control.

Maybe it was out of respect or maybe it was a time lapse but the space stopped changing. There were no more falling bricks, no more gold, no more disorientation as the two Souls that shared the space for so long finally

**CameTogether.**

There was no resolution but there was peace. Their pain was rightfully theirs and this experience was unique to no one but them.

**-End- **

_***I don't consider the relationship between Ryou and Dark Bakura to be consensual.**_

_**I've never been decided on whether "Yami" and Atemu were the same person or not. I've jumped back and forth and finally decided to make it ambiguous. It's unfortunate that this site is so restrictive on their formatting so this was the best I could do. I look forward to hearing from people.  
><strong>_


End file.
